Introduction

the participants in the International Scientific Conference “Sustainable Mountain Regions: Make Them Work”,

taking place in Borovets, Bulgaria, May 14-16, 2015,

organized by the Center of Excellence in Humanities at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, and funded by the National Research Fund of the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science,

in partnership with:

Southeast European Mountain Research (SEEmore) Network

National Center for Regional Development, Republic of Bulgaria

Bulgarian Geographical Society

National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy, and Geography, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

Faculty of and Geology and Geography, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”

Association for Development of Mountain Municipalities of Republic of Bulgaria

Bulgarian Association for Alternative Tourism

?bringing together 79 participants from 14 countries, many of them members to the Alpine or the Carpathian convention,

Confirm once again our strong support to the initiative that all countries of Southeast Europe be included in a convention on Integrated Sustainable Governance of Mountain Regions, along the lines of the Alpine and Carpathian conventions.

The Alpine Convention states and citizens and, particularly mountain inhabitants, will receive an added impetus from a sister convention in another part of the EU and its immediate neighborhood. The Carpathian Convention countries have even more to gain, chiefly in the area of integrated sustainable regional development. A EU-wide framework convention on mountain regions is also among the possible benefits of the proposed initiative.

Introduction

It is our pleasure to invite you to attend the International Conference “SUSTAINABLE MOUNTAIN REGIONS: MAKE THEM WORK”, which will be held on 14-16 May 2015 in the Rila Mountain resort of Borovets, Bulgaria.

The conference is organized and sponsored by the Center of Excellence in the Humanities "Alma Mater" at Sofia University „St. Kliment Ohridski” funded by the National Scientific Research Fund.

Conference partners:

Bulgarian Geographical Society

National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy, and Geography, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

Faculty of Geology and Geography, Sofia University „St. Kliment Ohridski”

Southeast Europe Mountain Research (SEEmore) Network - Bulgaria

Association for Development of Mountain Municipalities of Republic of Bulgaria

Ministry of the Environment and Waters of Bulgaria

Ministry of Regional Development of Bulgaria

National Centre for Territorial Development - Bulgaria

The conference will bring together academic researchers, practitioners, and representatives of governmental institutions and non-governmental organizations involved in sustainable development of mountain areas.

The conference will not be just a forum of academic researchers, practitioners, and representatives of governmental institutions and non-governmental organizations involved in sustainable development of mountain areas. One of its main goals is to bring further scientific evidence, advocate, and promote the idea that Southeastern Europe, if not the EC as a whole, needs a Convention on Sustainable Development of Mountain Regions, similar to the Alpine and the Carpathian conventions. To this end, the SEEmore (Southeastern Europe Mountain Research) Network will hold its business meeting, which takes place on a bi-annual basis, during the conference. Everybody is welcomedto attend, join, propose, and discuss ideas and projects.

The conference features a special workshop on "Ecosystem Services in Sensitive Mountain Areas" in relation to the joint Bulgarian-German Project "Ecosystem based information system covering sensitive mountain areas in Bulgaria", organized and chaired by Dr. St. Nedkov, Sofia University.